Ball stencil



BALL STENCIL Filed Nov. 5, 1954 IJZI ATTORN EYS Patented June 25, 1935 1 UNITED STATES BALL STENCIL Walter E. Humphrey, Jeannette, Pa.,'assignor to Pennsylvania Rubber Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 5, 1934., Serial No. 751,446 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-114) My invention relates to the decoration of spherical objects, and is found both in method and in apparatus.

The particular sort of decoration involved comprises a circumferential or equatorial band upon the object, and the band may-consist in an artistic design, or a legend, or a combination of the two. I have particularly developedthe invention for applying such a decoration upon compressible or 10 elastic balls, such as toy rubber balls, and in the ensuing specification I shall describe my apparatus and method as they are employed in this specific field.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a fragmentary view, showing my apparatus in side elevation, and showing a rubber ball, carrying a stencil band, installed in the apparatus, and ready to receive an application of decorating material. Fig. II is a sectional view of the apparatus, taken 2 on the plane II-II of Fig. I. Fig. III is a View in vertical section of a device used inpositioning the stencil band upon a ball, a ball in the course of receiving the band being shown in side elevation.

Fig. IV is a view in side elevation of a decorated ball organized with a device for removing the stencil band in accordance with the invention; the band-removing device is indicated in vertical section,and the stencil band itself is shown partly in side elevation and partly in cross-section. And

30 Fig. V is a view of the decorated ball in elevation.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus embodies a rotary chuck comprising two heads I and 2. The chuck heads are severally secured upon the inner ends of two aligned spindles 3; the

35 spindles 3 are mounted for simultaneous rotation in bearings 4, and are axially movable relatively to one another, whereby the heads may be brought into frictional engagement with a ball B to be' decorated. The inner faces of the chuck heads I 4 and 2 are concave, and snugly engage the spherical surface of the ball. Means, such as compression springs 1, are provided to maintain the heads normally in such engagement with the ball, and to cause the ball thus frictionally engaged to rotate in unison with them. The heads I, 2 may be circular in outline, or they may be of some other plain design. Alternately, the heads may be of elaborate design, and in the instant case shown in Figs. I and II they are patterned in the figure of a dog.

Theequatorial decoration, above alluded to, is provided by means of a stencil band 5. The stencil band is a cylindrical ring which is imperforate in main and perforate in the pattern 6. In the present case the stencil is a rigid, inflexible band,

formed of steel in thickness and in breadth, and the perforations are cut in the, metal in the form of B A L L. And the internal diameter of the cylindrical band 5 is less than the external diameter of the ball, say 3 less in the case of a ball 2%? in diameter. V

Preparatory to decorating the ball B, the StGII-r cil band is forced upon the ball. The usual rubber ball includes an equatorial seam or rib S, Fig.

III; in the case of a hollow ball the seam is formed at the line of union of the two hemispherical rubber shells of which the ball is formed, and inthe case of a solid ball the parting line between the halves of the vulcanizing mold tends to form a rib. The usual surface dressing of the ball does not wholly eliminate the appearance of this rib or seam, and, advantageously, I apply my equatorial band decoration over the seam. a

I provide means for proper assembly of the stencil band with the ball, and such means comprise a suction cup in which the ball is held, under the influence of a vacuum pump 3| communicating with the cup by way of passage 32. The cup is so proportioned that its rim 33 lies below the center of the ball B positioned therein, 5 at an interval equal to one-half of the breadthof the stencil band 5. The ball is seated inthe cup 36 by spotting. That is to say, it is placed by the eye of the attendant in position, its equatorial seam in parallelism with the rim of the cup (see Fig. III), and it is held in such position bysuction within the cup. The band 5 is then forced downward over the ball, until the lower edge of the band engages the rim 33 of the cup. Thus, the elastic body of the ball is compressed, and the stencil band is wedged securely upon the ball,

in medial position over the seam S. In so compressing the elastic body, the surface of the ball is caused to engage snugly the interior face of the band 5, as shown at 50 in Fig. III, thus establish- 40 ing, between the stencil and the surface to' be decorated, the uniform, tight contact over .extended surface productive of best results in stenciling operations. I Next, the ball is secured in the rotary chuck (cf. Fig. I), and the ball is so positioned between the heads I and 2 that the medial plane of the annular stencil band 5 extends with substantial accuracy perpendicularly to the axis of the spindles 3. The spindles 3 are set in rotation, turning the heads I, 2, ball B, and band 5 in unison. As the engineer will perceive, an electric motor (not shown) may be geared to the spindles}, to effect such rotation; or, alternately, the rotation may be manually produced. Decorating material is applied to the spinning ba1lto the surface areas of the ball that are exposed between the heads I, 2 and .the stencil band 5, and within the perforations 6 of the band. The decorating material may be any one of the quick-drying paints or lacquers which are commonly used upon rubber balls, and

the color is a matter of choice. A spray-gun or air-brush (not shown) may be used in wellknown manner in applying the material to the ball.

The decorated ball is removed from the chuck (l, 2), and the stencil band 5 is dislodged and removed from the ball, revealing the decoration as it appears in Fig. V. The removal of the decorated ball from the rotary chuck is, manifestly,'a simple matter, but, prior to the provision of the band-removing apparatus shown inFig.

III, difliculty was experienced in removing the.

decorated ball from its wedged position within the stencil band, withoutblemish of the applied decoration.

V I have discovered that differential pneumatic pressure may advantageously be utilized inremoving the decorated ball fromthe band. In practice, while leaving the surface of the ball on one side exposed to atmospheric pressure, I create a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure upon the other side of the band. The preponderant atmospheric pressure forces the bail free i from the band.

The device for removing the 'balls by my method comprises a body 8, having an open chamber 8 of substantially hemispherical form. Them'outh In of the chamber is slightly smaller in diameter than the ball, and the body ,8, at the periphery of the'mouth in, forms an annular seat upon which the stencil band 5 may bear. i

The ball, with the band in position upon it, is placedin position, resting in the mouth 10 and withinthe seat H. A vacuum pump l2 communicates with the chamber 9 by way of a passage I3, and at thewill of the attendant a'condition of sub-atmospheric pressure may be established in the chamber. On the opposite side of band 5, the ball B is subject to atmospheric pressure which, when the chamber 9 is evacuated of air, forces the ball downward, and (the band resting upon seat I I) frees the ball from"wedged position within the band. The suction upon the lower half of the ball slightly reduces the effective diameter of the ball, and

thus facilitates'its removal from within the band, and minimizes any tendency to smear the applied decoration. The ball, freed from the band,

is held inchamber 9, whence, the effect of pump .12 being interrupted, it may readily be removed.

2. The herein described method which comprises securing a compressible ball within .an equatorial, perforated stencil band, supporting the ball compressively at opposite poles remote from such equatorially applied band, applying decorating .material to the exposed surfaces of said ball, releasing the decorated ball from polar compression, and, while restraining said stencil band against axial movement, producing upon the surface of the ball less pneumatic pressure on the one side of said band thanon the other, and thereby releasing the ball from its position within the band.

3. The herein described method which comprises'securing a compressible ball in wedged position within an equatorial, perforated stencil b and,supporting the ball compressively at opposite poles remotefrom such equatoriallyap plied band, rotating the supported ball and the band secured thereto, and during such rotation applying decorating material'to the exposed sur face of said ball.

4. The herein described method of removing a compressible ball from wedged position witha stencil band, which method consists in re-.

straining said stencil band against axial'move 'ment, and, while leaving thebody of the ball exposed upon one side to atmospheric pressure,

subjecting the body of the ball on the otherside of said band to 'subatmospheric pressure? 5. In apparatus for removing a compressible ball from wedged position within an encom passing band, said apparatus comprising a body having an annular seat adapted to receive said band in edgewise engagement, and meansyfor establishing less pneumatic pressure upon the ball below said band than above, whereby to force the ball from its wedged position-within'said band.

6. In apparatus for removing a compressible passing band, said apparatus comprising a body including means for securing said band against axial movement, and means for establishing inequality in pneumatic pressure upon opposite 40 ball from wedged position .within an encomsides of theball, whereby to force the ball from its wedged position within said band.

'7. The herein described method which. comprises securing a compressible ball within an equatorial, perforated stencil band, applying decorating material to the exposed surfaces of said ball, and, while restraining said stencil hand against axial movement, producing inequality in pneumatic pressure upon the two surfaces of the ball on the opposite sides of said band, and thereby releasing the ball from its position within the band.

8. Apparatus for removing a compressible ball from position within an encompassing rigid band, said apparatus consisting of a suction cup having a circular rim of a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the band and adapted to sustain the band in edgewise engagement, and means for exhausting air from said cup.

WALTER 'E. HUMPHREY. 

